Portable electric floor lamp



Feb. 23, 1943. C sc 2,311,986

PORTABLE ELECTRIC FLOOR LAMP Filed June 17, 1940 INVENTOR, Pamfiey C. fienga/m/ BY M ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 23, 1943 UNITED STATS PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE ELECTRIC FLOOR LAMP Ramsey C. Henschel, Kansas City, Mo.

Application June 17, 1940, Serial No. 340,890

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in an electrical stand lamp, and particularly to a lamp with an extendable standard.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a dependably safe and conveniently vertically extendable lamp standard, safe guarding against damage to the wires and resultant hazard to the operator, constructed to minimize the hazard of overturning and to preclude of wire interference with the operator, constructed to insure slidability with non-interference with the wiring, providing a safe positive means to secure the slidable standard member set at desired heights, and a safe means whereby extension cords may be attached to and detached from the adjustable standard.

An object of this invention is to provide a lamp with construction of an extendable standard whereby a low center of gravity point is afiorded for a lamp cord to leave the standard; whereby the electrical conductors are maintained supported by the standard in an abrasionless, non-chafing, non-strain, and non-interfering position during vertical extending or retractingof the adjustable standard; and whereby said conductors are protectively encased against abrasion from exterior objects and deterioration action of dirt and chemicals such as oil, etc. which would get on the standard from workmens hands and otherwise.

Another object of this invention of a lamp is to provide construction whereby spaced apart longitudinal members of the extendable standard are retained in an improved slidable parallel relationship and a means for securely afiixing the slidable member at any desired point. This objective is accomplished by slidably securing a bracket onto each longitudinal standard member, and fixedly attaching each bracket to a terminus of the adjacent standard member, one of said brackets having a clamping device.

Another object of this invention of a lamp is to provide a lamp head with a standard having a spaced therefrom slidably mounted thereon tubular longitudinal member, encasing electrical conductors from lamp head and a connector housing supporting a cord connector mounted on the other end of the tube, the connector housing opening downwardly to preclude of continuous lateral bending stress on an extension cord while connected therein and also providing a disengaging safeguard to prevent breakage of cord and strain on connector terminals in event the extension cord is accidentally stepped on.

Another object of the tubular member in conjunction with the downwardly opening connector housing is .to preclude of water entering the housing and short circuiting the terminals therein when the lamp is used around car wash racks and the like.

Other objects are sturdiness and economy of construction, safety, ease and convenience of operation, and adaptability to various uses.

Reference will now be had to the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable electric floor lamp embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged foreshortened side elevation of the lamp with the parts in section; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line III--III of Fig. 2.

Throughout the several views, like reference characters designate similar parts, and the numeral Iii is a lamp base made of a heavy material and of suitable shape to properly stabilize the lamp. An adjustable standard I2 is securely mounted in said base and comprises a vertically disposed member l4, consisting preferably of a tube which is anchored in the base, and a tube l6 slidably mounted on member IA by means of a retentive top bracket l8 and retentive slide bracket 20. The bracket 18 has the top thereof closed over the member M to prevent water from entering therein.

Tube I6 is disposed in spaced apart parallel relation with member l4 and. maintains this relation as it is vertically adjusted to raise and lower the lamps.

Lamp head 22 is provided with an appending lug 24 having an opening therethrough to receive a bolt 26 by means of which the lamp head is hinged to the head bracket 28, carried by the upper end of tube I 6. A spring washer 30 is placed between the head of bolt 26 and lug 2:3, also a fiber washer 32 is positioned between lug 24 and bracket 28 so that when bolt 26 is in serted into a threaded hole in bracket 28 and the nut 34 is set a sufiicient friction will be set up between the hinged'parts to normally secure the lamp head in any adjusted position.

Lamp head 22, as shown, comprises a ring casting 36 having an internal flange 3B for supporting the two-piece lamp socket 411, having a standard pull switch chain 42 for controlling the electric current to lamp 44, mounted in socket 40. Ring casting 36 has an internal annular shouldered recess adapted to receive the flanged end 46 of the frusto-conical reflector 48, which is so positioned as to normally direct the light rays outwardly from the standard. Set

screws 50 mounted in casting 36, are adjustable to secure the reflector in position.

The inward end of casting 36 is reduced diametrically with a shouldered offset at 52 to receive the cylindrical end of head member 54, in which is provided an internal flange 56 on which is mounted a two-piece electric lamp socket 58 for the reception of a lamp 60.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that sockets 40 and 58 are spaced apart a sufificient distance to provide room for the lamp wires 62, which are extended through an opening 64, formed through the bottom side of member 54, then into tube I6 to engage the terminals of a safe type of cord connector 66, embedded in a recess 68 of connector housing 10, which has an appending lug 28 retaining member 18 slidably to member M. An extension cord 14 has a cord connector 12 which detachably interconnects with a connector 66 in housing 10. By means of this construction, it is apparent that the lamp standard may be adjusted vertically without wires interfering and without disturbing the wiring, and that wires at the standard are protectively encased from destructive agencies such as abrasion and greasy hands. Slack in the wires intermediate tube It and the lamp head, permits of free hinging of the head without putting any injurious stress on the wires.

The electrical supply cord enters the adjustable standard of the lamp far beneath the lamp head and importantly decreases overturn hazards, is very convenient and furthermore extension cords may be interchangeably plugged in at will or conveniently removed when the lamp is to be either stored or transported.

Lamp head member 54 extends outwardly beyond lamp B8, and is cut away at 16 to permit a part of the light from lamp 68 to always shine on the lower edge of reflector 48, and is cut away beneath to illuminate the near vicinity below the lamp head during and at all angular'adjust- :ments thereof. The upper portion of member 54 .serves as a reflector for lamp 68 and also protects the lamp against accidental breakage. Lamp 60 is usually of low wattage while lamp 44 is of high candle power. Whenever the con- :nector 12 is in the operative position, lamp 60 normally is always lighted and lamp 44 may be controlled to the off and on position by means of the pull chain 42.

Referring to Fig. 2 wherein a sectional view of top bracket l8 and associated parts are shown, it will be noted that the hole in the cap 18 receives the upper end of member l4 and that the cap is rigidly secured thereto by means of pin 80. A portion of the bracket I8 is an elongated sleeve 82 provided with a vertical hole 84 into which tube i6 is slidably mounted.

The improved standard hereof provides the many use advantages set forth in the objectives and also provides construction to compensate for ordinary structural irregularities always present in practice. All longitudinal members for and after use in standards have minor longitudinal warpings and surface irregularities, rolling mill defects, etc. These misalignments are reflected through any bracket supporting a small upper portion thereof and intensely magnified at the lower extremity necessitating; an unbelievably large sliding tolerance within said bracket, a spaced apart relation of by-passing standard members, and a retentive guide bracket at the lower extremity of the slidable member. These needs are again magnified by the obvious desirable use of a short sleeve at 82 to allow maximum extendability of the standard. Guide 20 admits use of a decidedly shorter sleeve 82 than otherwise required, by retaining the lower extremity of the otherwise wobbly movable member l6 when adequate slidable clearance is provided at 82.

Maintenance of the standard members I4 and I6 in spaced apart parallel relation, for best slidability, to protect the finish, and to maintain the lamp head concentrally located during ex-' tending of the standard, is accomplished by the following construction: Slidable guide lug 20 rigidly secured to tube l6 and retentively slidably mounted onto member 14, operating in conjunction with the retentive action of bracket l8 slidably supporting tube I6, maintains true slidable parallel relationship of the standard at all times; and adequately spaced apart standard members with ample bracket clearances allows for practical minor defects in members, and also minimizes damage to their finish. A thumb screw 86, operating through a side wall of bracket 18, assures positive safe anchorage of member I6 at desired heights.

With the lamps and reflectors related as shown, it is very evident that while reflector 48 directs light away some light rays from the lamps 44 and Bi) will intersect near lower rim of reflector 48 at all times and that light rays will illuminate the near vicinity about the lamp at all times, particularly at normal use angles.

Flood lamp 44 is adjustable to direct the rays to any desired point of operation by the vertical adjustment of the standard, the hinged lamp head, and by turning the base on its support.

Many minor changes might be made'in the structure as described without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

An electric stand lamp having in combination a head, a base, slidable plural parallel standard members supporting said head from said base, one of said members supporting said head being tubular, said members being side spaced apart by brackets, electrical wires enclosed in said tube leading from said head to the lower extremity of said tubular member, and an electric male connector recessed in one of said brackets connected to said tubular lower extremity. 3

RAMSEY C'. HENSCHEL. 

